Seven Hot Business Apps For Mac OS X

Business On Mac OS X

Along with the name change to Macworld/iWorld, the Macworld expo this year featured its first OS X Zone. The sold-out section of the showroom floor was dedicated to exhibitors with software and accessories for Apple's Mac desktops and laptops. Companies that bought space in the special section to show off their business applications included CHL Software, Widget Press, e3 Software, Marketcircle and xTuple. In all, nearly 300 vendors were featured in the Macworld/iWorld exhibit hall.

File Management

Lee Ferris (left), product manager for U.K.-based CHL Software, shows an attendee the benefits of DocMoto, a file management system designed specifically for the Mac. DocMoto can store a variety of digital resources, such as documents, images, movies, e-mail and music. Developed for professional organizations, the software provides revision history, e-mail notification of asset status changes, workflow and a full audit trail.

Creating iOS Apps

Jonathan Freeman, founder of Atlanta, Ga.-based Widget Press, is also the developer of the company's FormEntry software for building form-based apps for the iPhone and iPad. The product does not require any coding. A drag-and-drop interface is used to build apps for displaying forms that a person can fill out on the devices. FormEntry costs $100.

Accounting For SMBs

Auckland, New Zealand-based Cognito Software makes the MoneyWorks accounting software that can run on the Mac or a Windows PC. Managing Director Grant Cowie demonstrated version six of the software, which has more than 100 new features and enhancements. Improvements include a new navigator and dashboard, improved forms designer, original document storage, direct e-mailing and native PDF generation. The software starts at $99.

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Getting The Bills Out

Marketcircle makes small business billing software for the Mac. Raffi Patatian (left), a small business IT consultant, talked with Macworld/iWorld attendees about the product's one-click invoicing, time tracking and multi-currency support. The software also sends alerts when a customer's bill is overdue. Along with the Mac software,the Canadian company makes applications for billing from an iPhone or iPad.

Open-Source Accounting

Northfolk, Va.-based xTuple sells open-source accounting software for SMBs. A free version of PostBooks is available, with the commercial version costing $1,200 for a perpetual license. Anne Cote, director of professional services, says many more features, such as sophisticated inventory controls, are included in the upgrade to xTuple Standard, which starts at $2,100 for a perpetual license. The company also makes three other paid versions. That cost from $2,700 to $4,500.

Direct Mail

Jonathan Hammer, president of Mountain View, Calif.-based e3 Software, says the company's Direct Mail product provides the tools for creating, managing and distributing e-mail marketing campaigns from a Mac. The software features a built-in message editor to add images, styled fonts and links. It also provides real-time tracking to see who opened a marketing e-mail, who unsubscribed and which messages bounced. Direct Mail can import contacts from other Mac applications. Subscription plans start at $15 a month for up to 500 recipients.

Managing Your Business

Vaughan, Canada-based Accountek Solutions sells accounting and ERP software for Macs and Windows PCs. Maryann Archer, account manager for Accountek, demonstrated the different versions of the company's Connected software, which include Core Accounting for small business and Enterprise Accounting & ERP. Prices for Core Accounting start at $399, while Connected Enterprise starts at $899.